This document describes a project to develop a common understanding of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems between companies implementing HACCP and Portuguese government agencies approving and inspecting HACCP systems, focusing on traditional cheese dairies. The project involves developing manuals on good practices for dairy farms and cheese dairies, implementing HACCP in demonstration dairies, developing general HACCP plans for cheese production, and creating a website about hygiene and HACCP in cheese production. The project partners are the Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra, Direcção Regional da Agricultura da Beira Litoral, Associação Nacional de Criadores de Ovinos

1. Noordwijk Food Safety HACCP Forum, 5th International Meeting, 9-10 December 2002
AGRO44 - Development of a common understanding of
HACCP in traditional cheese-dairies
João Freire de Noronha, Food Science and Techonology Department, Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra. Bencanta - 3040-116 Coimbra, Portugal; noronha@mail.esac.pt
Aims
The general aim of this project is to create a common understanding between those responsible for the
implementation of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) systems in the companies and the
professionals working in the Portuguese Governmental Agencies responsible for approving, licensing and
inspecting these systems. The goal of this common understanding is to facilitate implementation of this system in
traditional cheese-dairies.
Escola Superior Agrária
The project is being developed in five main areas: de Coimbra
• Development and dissemination of a Good Production Practices manual for dairy farms;
• Development and dissemination of a Good Manufacturing Practices manual for cheese dairies;
DRABL
• Implementation of HACCP systems in Traditional Cheese Dairies – demonstration units; Direcção Regional
de Agricultura da
• Development and dissemination of general HACCP plans for the manufacture of Traditional Cheese and Curd Beira Litoral
Cheese;
• Creation of an internet site about hygiene, good manufacturing practices and HACCP in the production of
cheese and curd cheese. www.esac.pt/agro44
Implementation
Areas 1, 2 and 4 will be developed in five steps:
Step 1 – Collection of applicable legislation and relevant literature
Step 2 – Production of the manual and information material (information leaflets)
Step 3 – Testing the developed materials by final users (milk producers and cheese dairies) and adapting the
manuals according to suggestions.
Step 4 – Graphic design and printing of manuals and information leaflets.
Step 5 – Dissemination of the material
Area 3 will be developed in accordance with the following steps:
Step 1 – Development of educational material for training teams in HACCP/GMPs.
Step 2 – Training teams in HACCP/GMPs.
Step 3 – Selection of cheese-dairies to implement the HACCP system (demonstration units)
Step 4 – Implementation of the HACCP system in the chosen cheese-dairies according to the principles of HACCP
Step 5 – Auditing HACCP systems in order to detect any flaws and correct them.
This aspect of the project will allow the involved teams to gain the experience required to develop the general
HACCP plans set out in Step 4. It also allows the design of pilot experiences / demonstration units for the
implementation of HACCP systems in this kind of production units.
The fifth area will comprise the following steps:
Step 1 – Creation of a global image for the project, which unifies all printed material, the internet page and all
published material.
Step 2 – Designing the internet page. www.esac.pt/agro44
Step 3 – Publishing all the material produced in the scope of the project in the internet page.
Partnership
• Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra/Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra (ESAC/IPC)
• Direcção Regional da Agricultura da Beira Litoral (DRABL)
• Associação Nacional de Criadores de Ovinos da Serra da Estrela (ANCOSE)
• Terras de Sicó - Associação de Desenvolvimento